Clair de Lune
by kitty-re
Summary: LilyJames. Young and in love. Are fairytales possible when soul mates so clearly are?


_a/n: I literally worked my way backwards on this, started at the end of the last chapter and wrote my way up to the start of it. Then proceeded to make this chapter here.  
Damn disorganized mind with its flittering thoughts. _

* * *

**Clair de Lune  
**by _kitty-re_

Chapter One; Naturally.

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It was perfect, he was perfect, and my mind was exhausted from denying it time after time. Yes, I felt like saying now, yes I liked James Potter; yes, I might even be in love with him.

His black hair, his hazel-brown eyes with golden specks entranced me even in my sleep. It was high time that I admitted my affections for him, Alice had told me over dinner, high time I marched up to him – and just kissed him. She smiled into her daydream; Alice was all about happy endings, fairytale stories. In my life where I hadn't been granted with such joy it was hard-luck to see me hopeful about a relationship.

_But he loves me_, my mind told me time and time again, there was no denying that.

Somehow even through all the years of hardened rejections he had built strength from it, never letting his heart really give up. What his lips no longer said his eyes still did. His gaze told the story of a man in love, no Hogwarts student – not even myself anymore – could deny that.

And so the rumours were beginning to stir again, Lily Evans flirting back with James Potter, were their knees just grazing underneath the dining table? Were her eyes just tracing their way along his lips?

Remus told me Prongs was still denying the attraction from me, saying I was just naturally friendly, but he thought deep down James knew. Because even through the "only friendly" banter, he was happier than he'd ever been.

The thought of his smile made me smile and Remus was quick to catch it.

So I waited, I waited for James to truly catch on, to realize that I had finally caught up to him but as the wait grew longer and longer – _had it really only been a month?_ – I began to wonder maybe it was truly selfish of me to expect him to make the first move after all these years.

"Lily," Marlene began again, "just _do_ it."

Alice nodded eagerly beside her, "c'mon Lils, you know he's not going to push you off or anything and clearly he's too used to your rejections to see that you like him back. So just kiss him already."

"Mount him in transfiguration." Marlene added, gazing off into the Great Hall's sky.

"Fuck him in the broom closet." Alice continued,

"Kiss him until his lips are so sore that he begs you to stop!"

Alice stood to her feet, hand on her heart and head tilted back, "stop Lily, stop!" she moaned in a husky voice.

I saw James enter the Great Hall, eyeing Alice with suspicion, my eyes fell to the table blush creeping along my cheeks as red as my hair. I felt Alice sit down and gave her the filthiest look I could conjure while still trying to avoid eye contact with James. He took his now regular place at the bench next to me; sparks erupted in my stomach when his knee just barely grazed mine. I couldn't help but look up and smile at him when he said my name, it was instinct now – James Potter equals happiness.

Remus gave me a knowing smile and Sirius winked at me, Marlene burst into a fit of giggles but James seemed completely oblivious to everybody's reactions and tucked into his breakfast, casually talking about prefect duties. Alice flicked a piece of parchment on it with one single word, "HOGSMEADE", written across it.

I got the message, and with my stomach in my throat I tried as casually as I could to bring it up,

"So it's Hogsmeade this weekend aye James." I said, suddenly interested in my fork.

He froze and I inwardly cringed, maybe he'd already asked some other girl to go with him, maybe all these "signs" that I'd been seeing were just my imagination planting false hope in my mind. My brain tossed up hundreds of different situations in those two beats of silence, none of which were positive in any way.

"Yeah, are you going to go?" He asked, he seemed actually interested – this wasn't going that bad, just keep it casual Lily, I reminded myself, just keep it casual.

"Yeah, you want to come along with us? Me, Marlene and Alice have gotten over going to Hogsmeade just the three of us – kind of routinely now, ruins the magic, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah I know what you mean, it sounds good." He looked at me and smiled, "thanks Lily, I was hoping we'd go this weekend."

His hand flickered across my knee as he stood – _was it by accident?_ – and my eyes followed him and the marauders all the way out to the exit as did Alice's and Marlene's. "Nice." Alice commented, Marlene just nodded her head in agreement. I grinned at my two best friends, Remus was right – it really wasn't that hard, second nature even.

The idea that we were going to spend the whole day together, surrounded by other friends or not, gave me kind of light feeling in my chest, like nothing could kill this buzz – not even the fact that next was Ancient Runes and we had a test coming up.

;

Time flew by so fast that by Saturday morning I couldn't believe it was Hogsmeade day, I kept on telling myself it wasn't a big deal but it was hard not to get worked up when during every meal James' contact became longer lasting, seemingly more intimate, and every time he left the table I was faced with two shrill, squealing girls.

It was immature and I knew it was immature, but I couldn't help be thrilled by even the lightest touch of his skin against mine. On Friday I was running late for charms and literally ran into him, sending pieces of parchment every where; and my books and myself, straight to the ground. He had been more than gentlemanly, picking up all my stuff and giving me a helping hand up. The way his fingers brushed through my hair to sweep off some dust sent shivers along the base of my spine.

His smile that warmed his eyes clouded my senses until another late-running student brushed past us, wakening me from my daydream.

How foolish of me to fall so hard for someone before we had even begun dating, but I couldn't help it. He had become a necessity in my life; my day seemed incomplete without our usual dinner-time conversation with some casual flirting. A knee graze, a hand gently stroking an arm…a thigh.

I shook my head looking into the mirror, I couldn't let myself delve too deep into my thoughts this morning – I'd lose track of all time. I assessed what I looked like in the mirror, normally Marlene would be behind me judging how I looked but I had woken unnaturally early, probably because of the nerves.

My red hair was loose, wavy – even slight loose ringlets in some places, minimal make-up. I had donned on dark jeans, green v-neck sweater and a white singlet – it was simple but effective, I looked kind of nice, but not like I was expecting anything special.

Again I shook my head, over-thinking it Lily, stop over thinking it. I sighed and turned away from the mirror, I'd just wait in the common room, catch up on some Charms revision until everyone was awake. But what was waiting for me down in the common room turned the butterflies in my stomach into fireworks, explosive and highly dangerous. James was sitting in the big armchair, studying a piece of parchment.

Seemingly waiting for me.


End file.
